President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Canada wouldn’t even exist without the United States. He made this statement just a few days before Canadians head to the polls in an election where his comments about Canada’s economy and independence have become a major issue.

During a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump made a statement about Canada's dependence on the United States. He said that Canada would not exist as a country without the US purchasing goods from them. Trump earlier threatened to use economic pressure to declare the nation the 51st state. "I have to be honest, as a state, it works great," he added. Trump repeated his opinion that the United States doesn’t need to rely on Canada for anything, not even cars or oil. "We don't really want Canada to make cars for us, to put it bluntly. We want to make our own cars," Trump said.

Recently, Trump has stopped talking about the idea of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state. He dropped the topic after speaking with Canada’s new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, last month. On Wednesday, Trump also said he might raise taxes on cars imported from Canada. Currently, there’s a 25% tax on cars, but some exceptions exist under the USMCA trade agreement. Car makers are also trying to get other policy changes to reduce the impact of these tariffs. Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, claiming it is necessary to address drug smuggling into the United States. "I really don't want cars from Canada," Trump said. "So when I put tariffs on Canada, they're paying 25 per cent, but that could go up in terms of cars. When we put tariffs on, all we're doing is we're saying, We don't want your cars in all due respect."Trump has warned that while he isn't currently considering additional auto tariffs, it's still a possibility that they could be increased in the future. 

Prime Minister Carney emphasised last week that removing trade barriers within Canada would benefit Canadians far more than any losses from Trump's trade actions. He made this point as he campaigned for re-election ahead of the April 28 vote. Carney is aiming for a goal of free trade between Canada's 10 provinces and 3 territories by July 1, as the country has long faced trade barriers within its own borders. "We can give ourselves far more than Donald Trump can ever take away," Carney said. "We can have one economy. This is within our grasp." Carney mentioned that the relationship between Canada and the United States, which has been strong for the last 40 years, has changed because of President Trump's tariffs. His trade policies and threats to turn Canada into the 51st state have angered many Canadians, leading to a rise in Canadian nationalism. This shift has helped increase support for the Liberal Party in polls.